RM of Roblin Information Bulletin 96-3

Rural Municipality of Roblin Information Bulletin 96-3 Rural Municipality of Roblin Information Bulletin 96-3 Page 1 Rural Municipality of Roblin Information Bulletin 96-3 Prepared by: Manitoba Land Resource Unit, Centre for Land and Biological Resources Research, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Department of Soil Science, University of Manitoba. Manitoba Soil Resource Section, Soils and Crops Branch, Manitoba Agriculture. Page 2 Information Bulletin 96-3 Rural Municipality of Roblin PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This is one of a new series of information bulletins for individual This project was supported under the Canada-Manitoba Agreement rural municipalities of Manitoba. They serve to introduce the newly of Agricultural Sustainability. developed digital soil and terrain databases, and illustrate several typical derived map products for agricultural land use planning The following individuals and agencies contributed significantly to the compilation, interpretation, and derivation of the information applications. The bulletins will also be available in diskette format contained in this report. for selected rural municipalities. Managerial and administrative support was provided by: Information contained in this bulletin may be quoted and utilized with appropriate reference to the originating agencies. The authors R.G. Eilers, Head, Manitoba Land Resource Unit, CLBRR, and originating agencies assume no responsibility for the misuse, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. alteration, re-packaging, or re-interpretation of the information. G.J. Racz, Head, Dept. of Soil Science, University of Manitoba. F. Wilson, Manager, Manitoba Land and Soil Programs, PFRA, This information bulletin serves as an introduction to the land Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. resource information available for the municipality. More detailed G.F. Mills, Manitoba Soil Survey, Soils and Crops Branch, Manitoba Agriculture. information, including copies of the primary soil and terrain maps K.S. McGill, Chief, Land Utilization and Soil Survey, Soils and at larger scales, may be obtained by contacting; Crops Branch, Manitoba Agriculture. Manitoba Land Resource Unit Technical support was provided by: Room 360 Ellis Bldg, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2 L. Fuller and G.W. Lelyk, Manitoba Land Resource Unit, CLBRR, Phone: 204-474-6118 FAX: 204-275-5817 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. J. Fitzmaurice, N. Lindberg, K. Gehman, A. Waddell, and CITATION M. Fitzgerald, Dept. of Soil Science, University of Manitoba. R. Lewis, PFRA, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Manitoba Land Resource Unit, 1996. Soils and Terrain. An Professional expertise for data conversion, correlation, and introduction to the land resource. Rural Municipality of Roblin, interpretation was provided by: Information Bulletin 96-3, Ellis Bldg, University of Manitoba. Winnipeg. W.R. Fraser and W. Michalyna of the Manitoba Land Resource Unit, CLBRR, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. P. Haluschak and G. Podolsky, Manitoba Soil Survey Unit, Soils and Crops Branch, Manitoba Agriculture. Rural Municipality of Roblin Information Bulletin 96-3 Page 3 Figure 3. Rural municipalities in southern Manitoba with digital and terrain map information (1996). Page 4 Information Bulletin 96-3 Rural Municipality of Roblin INTRODUCTION This information bulletin is one of a new series prepared for selected rural municipalities in southern Manitoba (Figure 1). A brief overview of the soil and terrain database information assembled for each municipality is presented, as well as a set of maps derived from the data for typical agricultural land use and planning applications. The soil and terrain maps and databases were compiled and registered using the computerized Geographic Information System (GIS) facilities of the Manitoba Land Resource Unit. These GIS databases were used to create the generalized interpretive maps and statistics contained in this report. Rural Municipality of Roblin Information Bulletin 96-3 Page 5 LAND RESOURCE DATA Base Layer The soil and terrain (landscape) information were obtained as part Digital base map information includes the municipality and of a larger project to provide a uniform level of land resource Township boundaries, and major streams, roads and highways. The information for agricultural and regional planning purposes soil and terrain layers were added and aligned ("georeferenced") to throughout Agro-Manitoba. This information was compiled and the digital base map. Major rivers and lakes from the base layer analyzed in digital form, using Geographic Information System were also used as common boundaries for the soil and terrain map (GIS) techniques. Three distinct layers of information were used, layers. Water bodies larger than 25 ha in size were digitized as as shown in Figure 2. separate polygons. Terrain Layer A separate terrain layer was produced for municipalities for which only reconnaissance scale soil map coverage was available. This was compiled by aerial photo-interpretation techniques, using recent 1:50 000 scale stereo air photo coverage. The terrain information was transferred from the photographs onto the standard RM base and digitized in the GIS. Where the soil and terrain boundaries coincided, such as along prominent escarpments and eroded stream channels, the new terrain line was used for both layers. The terrain line, delineated from modern airphoto interpretation, was considered more positionally accurate than the same boundary portrayed on the historical reconnaissance soil map. Each digital terrain polygon was assigned the following legend characteristics: Surface form Slope class Slope length class Percent wetlands Wetland size Erosional modifiers Extent of eroded knolls Polygon number The first four legend fields are considered differentiating, that is, a change in any of these classes defines a new polygon. Figure 2. Soil, Terrain, and Base Map data. Page 6 Information Bulletin 96-3 Rural Municipality of Roblin Soil Layer SOIL AND TERRAIN OVERVIEW The most detailed soil information currently available was selected The Rural Municipality (RM) of Roblin covers 8 Townships as the data source for the digital soil layer for each rural (approximately 82,000 ha) in south-central Manitoba. The town of municipality. Cartwright is the largest population centre. Agriculture is the dominant land use in the municipality. Comprehensive detailed soil maps (1:20 000 to 1:50 000 scale) have been published for many rural municipalities. Where they were Soils in the municipality have been mapped previously in the available, the individual soil map sheets were digitized and Reconnaissance Soil Survey of South-Central Manitoba (Ellis and compiled as a single georeferenced layer to match the digital RM Shafer, 1943). base. Map polygons have one or more soil series components, as well as slope and stoniness classes. Soil database information was Based on climatic data from Boissevain (Environment Canada, produced for each polygon, to meet national standards (MacDonald 1982), mean annual temperature is 2.7°C; mean annual and Valentine, 1992). Slope length classes were also added, based precipitation is 502 mm; average frost-free period is 121 days and on photo-interpretation. growing degree days above 5oC is 1756. The seasonal moisture deficit between May to October is 200 to 250 mm and effective Older, reconnaissance scale soil maps (1:126 720 scale) represented growing degree days (EGDDs) above 5C for the same period is the only available soil data source for many rural municipalities. 1500 (Agronomic Interpretations Working Group, 1995). These maps were compiled on a soil association basis, in which soil landscape patterns were identified with unique surficial geological The southern portion of the RM occurs in the Boissevain Plain deposits and textures. Each soil association consists of a range of (referred to as the Waskada Till Plain in published soil report) different soils ("associates") each of which occurs in a repetitive which has an average elevation of approximately 480 m asl. Relief position in the landscape. Each polygon digitized from the in this area is generally less than 3 m and surface forms are mainly reconnaissance soil map was assigned the following legend hummocky, ridged and undulating. The northeastern portion of the characteristics: municipality occupies part of the Tiger Hills Upland characterized by sharply hummocky terrain and higher local relief with slopes Map symbol and modifier (overprinted symbol) ranging from 5 to 15%. The Pembina Valley, a large glacial Soil Association or Complex name meltwater channel occurs along the northern boundary of the RM. Soil series and modifier codes Rock Lake, one of a series of lakes within the valley occurs to the Polygon number north of the RM. The dominant soils in the Boissevain Plain are Black Chernozems in well to imperfectly drained areas and Humic A modern soil series that best represents the soil association was Gleysols in poorly drained depressions. Slightly higher elevations identified for each soil polygon. The soil and modifier codes in the Tiger Hills are characterized by Orthic Dark Gray and Orthic provide a link to additional databases of soil properties. In this way, Black Chernozems in well drained upper and mid slope positions both detailed and reconnaissance soil map polygons were related to and Gleyed Dark Gray and Black soils in imperfectly drained lower soil drainage, surface texture, and other soil properties to produce slope. Gleysolic soils occur in depressional sites

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